A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Spring 2026 | Number 2, Volume 40
Researchers in the United States report that there appears to be no relationship between the use of epidural anesthesia during labor and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children.
Taniqua Ingol and colleagues analyzed data on mother–child pairs enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development, a multisite case–controlled study. Their analysis included more than 2,000 preschool-aged children with ASD and more than 3,100 controls. After controlling for multiple factors, the researchers found no association between the use of epidural anesthesia during labor and ASD diagnoses in children. “Subtle as sociations emerged when the analysis was restricted to vaginal deliveries,” they say; “however, they attenuated after additional adjustment for fetal distress, induced or augmented labor, and prolonged labor.” They note that while an earlier study pointed to a link between epidural anesthesia and ASD (see ARRI No. 4, Vol. 34, 2020), the new findings are consistent with those of six studies from Canada, Singapore, Israel, and Europe.
The researchers conclude, “Our results in combination with others should be reassuring for mothers who are considering labor epidural analgesia for pain relief during childbirth.”
“Labor epidural analgesia and autism spectrum disorder in offspring: a population-based case-control study,” Taniqua T. Ingol, Jessie K. Edwards, Mollie E. Wood, Chantel L. Martin, Gabriel S. Dichter, Keith Feldman, Alan C. Kinlaw, and Julie L. Daniels, Autism Research, April 9, 2026 (free online). Address: Taniqua Ingol, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, [email protected].
